Tamale, Dec. 13, GNA - The United States Ambassador's Girl-child Education Scholarship Programme is impacting the lives of the youth in the Northern Region, as 700 girls have so far benefited from the scheme instituted last year to complete their basic education. The beneficiaries who were mostly from rural communities in the region had passed through the "School for Life", a Danish NGO's Functional Literacy Programme and had now been admitted into the formal schools. The new batch of girls numbering 34 who were selected from 11 districts of the region, received 904,000 cedis each under the scholarship scheme.

Dr. Abubakr Al-Hassan, Chairman of the Ghanaian-Danish Community Association (GDCA) announced this when he distributed the package on behalf of the sponsors to the beneficiaries on Monday. He said 621 million cedis was provided under the programme for the 700 girls who were also given textbooks covering the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science. The beneficiaries received exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, school uniforms, footwear, bicycles, food supplies and wheelchairs for the physically challenged under the scholarship package. Dr. Al-Hassan said the beneficiaries were classified under four categories as: HIV/AIDS orphans, orphans whose parents were dead, physically challenged and the economically disadvantaged.

The Ambassador's Girl-child Education Scholarship Programme was initiated by the American President to support girls' education in 15 African countries, including Ghana. The programme is funded by the United States Agency for International Development.